Senator RHIANNON: I now want to move on to issues to do with global health programs.

Senator McEWEN: Senator Rhiannon, just while we are finding someone to answer those questions for you, the mysterious $800,000 was in DFAT's answer to QON 409. It was the amount that had been spent on consultancies for IT integration to date. So perhaps you could take on notice, Mr Varghese, whether that amount is still the same or whether or not it has increased.

"Mr Pyne and Mr Abbott are regularly contradicting themselves in radio interviews. We now know that Mr Abbott won't rule out that university fees will double while Mr Pyne can't decide if fees are going to go up or down," said Senator Rhiannon.

Greens NSW Senator Lee Rhiannon has congratulated the decision of a local community group to fund an investigation of Hunter Valley coal train dust, as a report on the same topic commissioned by the federal government had been compromised.

“Coal Terminal Action Group has taken action to ensure the community have access to objective data about the level of coal dust they are regularly exposed to,” Senator Rhiannon said.

(i) the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria board meeting, held in the week beginning 16 June 2013, approved the first funding grants under its new funding model,

(ii) one of the first three countries receiving funding is Myanmar, with which Australia has established significant ties, including support for its health sector and efforts to tackle HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis,

Greens Senator for NSW Lee Rhiannon has warned the Labor government against using a deficient ARTC study released today to shirk its responsibility to carefully consider the health impacts of coal dust.

"The ARTC report is compromised by methodological shortcomings, has not been independently reviewed and fails to consider the cumulative health impacts of dust from coal stockpiles, mining and road and rail transport," Senator Rhiannon said.

With the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee expected to recommend today that RU486 and Misoprostol be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (the PBS) Australian Greens are calling on Federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek to move quickly to ensure Australian women have access to affordable medical abortion.

Over the weekend I read many of the more than 150 submissions to the Senate Inquiry into the health impacts of air pollution, that will hold its first hearing in Newcastle tomorrow. Greens health spokesperson Senator Richard Di Natale won the support of the other parties to hold this inquiry.

Greens Senator for NSW Lee Rhiannon was interviewed on the ABC Radio Newcastle morning show about the Greens-initiated Senate Inquiry into Air Pollution, scheduled for next Tuesday 16 April in Newcastle. More detail here.

Every Australian should have equal access to good healthcare. Where you live, or how much money you earn, shouldn’t affect the care you receive when you are sick. The Greens are working hard to protect Medicare from harsh government cuts, are champions of Denticare, and are leading calls for proper investment in mental health services, and for meaningful efforts to close the gap in health and life expectancy faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.